Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-07-29
DISCOVERED IN AN INSANE ASY-
LUM-PECULIAR DUTIES OF A
FOREIGN CONSUL.

the case that consul mas OceH ap-
Piled to to purchase peculiar ami
mails found in the country to which
they are accredited, all the way
from elephants to rare kinds of liz
ards.
Very frequently they are asked
to collect a number of specimens of
the sea.shells peculiar to their part
of the world. Only a short time
ago we received request from a
gentleman in Kentucky asking that
the consul at Barcelona, in Spain,
proc re for him a fine specimen OF
the native ass for breeding pur.
poses, the gentleman being under
the impression that that animal at
tanned to a large size liz Spain
The request was forwarded, and
the Kentuckian has since received
very fine animal of the donkey
kind.
But the more frequent requests
outside of the purely commercial
duties OF the consul are of purely
private and family kind. Ifa son,
daughter. husband or wife goes es'
tray, or if information is required
of the whereabouts of a person OF
any degree of relationship to the
inquirer in a foreign country, appll-
cation is at once made to the rep
resentative Of this country nearest
the place where the missing person
is supposed to be, and the consul is
asked to look him up. Some very
startling romances have been nm.
earthed in this way through the
consular agencies. That was a
strange case which was unearthed
some time ago in Florence, Italy,
by Mr.. A Schuyler Crosby, who was
then United States Consul at that
place. One day he was conduct
ing a party of Americans through
the principal places of interest in
the city, and among the places WIS.,
tied was the insane asylum. AS
the party was going through the
wards one of the inmates of the in.
stitution suddenly called ont to Mr..
Crosby:
"Oh, sir; You are an American,
are YOU nOt7 For Gods sake come
here and listen to my story" Mr..
Crosby went to the cell from whence
the piteOus appeal came, and saw
behind the bar a woman much ema-
cated, but apparently sane. He
listened to her story, and, after
making inquiries, set himself to
work to procure her release, in
which he succeeded after a great
deal Of trouble.
Tho wOmanIs story was as fol.
lows. She was born in Mobile Of
wealthy parents, and being attrac-
tive in appearance, she had Il num-
Der of suitors for her hand IN mar
riage. One day an Italian came to
the city. lie was very handsome
and wrote the prefix "COunt" be-
fore his name. He soon got him
self introduced into the best circles
of Mobile society, and by his pleas
ant and courteous bearing became
great favorite among the ladies
OF the place. lie became a con-
stant visitor at the home of Miss
, the subject of this story,
and intimacy began to ripen into
love on the part of the young girl.
The parents did not approve of the
young match, but the handsome
Italian portrayed to the love.smlt-
ten girl in glowing terms the wealth
of his affection for her and the
beauties of the lovely FlOrentine
home which he wished her to be
come the mistress of. At last his
entreaties were successful, and the
young girl was married TO the
"Count" secretly. When the girls
parents heard of it they were en-
ragged. Her father refused to have
ANYTHING to do with her, and in
stead of giving her the fortune he
had intended to be hers, settled on
her the sum of $4,000 year. The
young couple started for Europe
but it soon became apparent to the
wife that her husband was not on
ly not in love with her, but thai
his only object in marrying her was
TO procure her fortune, and having
failed in that through the anger ol
her father, had no more use fol
her.
Shortly after reaching Florenc'
the account" had three physicians
called in and they made an exam
nation of the young girl, much t
her surprise and terror. On thu
following day covered wagoI
came TO the door and she was tOlC
to get inside. When she refused
she was seized from behind ant
rudeIy bound and bandaged. Sh'
tainted, and when she recovere'
she found herself ia the insane asy
lum. There she remained for owe
two years, until she was found b.
t Mr.. Crosby. Meanwhile the hus
r band, who had caused her incarce'
!. alton, wrote home to the girls par